Tom Anderson
Sir Thomas Paul ‘Ando’ Anderson, KBE, MBE (born 24 March 1989) is an English professional table tennis player. AKA "The Whirlwind" or "Hurricane Anderson" or the Chinese translation "Fu King Long" because of his fluid, speedy attacking style of play and is often referred to as the "People's Champion". One of the most successful players in the modern history of the sport, he is regarded by many observers of the game, including 3 time Grand Slam champion and commentator Chris Martin, as the most naturally gifted player in TT history. Ando has 1 2nd place, 2 3rd places & 1 4th Place in Grand Slams to date and feels he has been very unlucky to have missed out on the most converted prize. Known for his speed he also has 3 Pro Tournament Titles to his name, namely 2x 2 Minute Speed TT & the Lunchtime League. These 3 Tournament wins and the recent 2nd place where he took the unbeaten Grand Slam champion to the wire prompted Adidas to offer Anderson a 5 year contract worth £2 million. A multiple record WWTT record holder, his favourites include; 2 minute Speed TT score (18-1 v Michael Cooper) & has completed a 'Heron' 4 times (11-0 v Alex Heron X3 7 once V star player Matthew Vines). Anderson was born in Peterborough District Hospital, Peterborough, England, and studied at The Deepings Comprehensive. He achieved great academic success, but was often truant from school from the age of eight or nine, spending more and more time at "smashers", Andrew Mogridge's table tennis club with friend & rival Chris Martin. Tournament Performances * 4th Place - Web Windows Ope3rd Place - Australian Open * 3rd Place - French Open * 2nd Place - US Open * Winner - 2 Minute Speed TT (Pro Tournament) * Winner - Lunchtime League (Pro Tournament) * Winner - Easter Special (Pro Tournament) Equipment/playing style Ando currently uses a Adidas Laser 2.0 Table Tennis Bat as of Feb 2015 when his bat was broken. Ando is arguably the best two-winged looper in table tennis history. His serves appear to be traditional pendulum serves, but are some of the most visually deceptive in the world. His playing style is that of the modern strategy of close-range third ball play, as his range of attack is nearly unparalleled. His play strategy is primarily forehand-oriented, choosing to dominate play with powerful forehand loops, reserving the backhand for controlled returns and to set up the forehand. His speed around the table, his ability to smash balls at a rapid rate and flamboyant style earned him the nickname "Hurricane Anderson" and has made him a very high-profile player. The Future He is now, arguably the #1 player in WWTT as for much of 2015 season he has dominated games & tournaments. Due to his up rise in form he is believed to want to represent the UK at the 2016 Olympics & barring dip in his ratings, its hard to disagree. Chinese National Team coach Lui Si Cho has remarked that he wanted Ando to change his nationality as he has all the tools necessary to be the best & a potential Olympic Champion. Although he is yet to win at a major tournament, it can't be far away. Thus far, he has lacked sufficient mental toughness to play to his full ability when under pressure. It is believed that Ando is considering the financial offer from the Chinese as he is in his own words he is 'very partial to a Chicken Chow mein & Hoi Sin Sauce'. In other media Anderson appeared in the 9th series of Bullseye He finished with a Caravan, Washing Machine and a Bendy Bully on 4 December 2009. He is a leading contender Legacy Anderson was inducted into the WWTT Hall of Fame in 2015. He is an inspiration to many subsequent professional WWTT players including Tom Bramley, Alex Heron and Matthew Vines who in an interview stated "Tom is an inspiration to Liam Tilley in particular, who has polio. The way he plays at his best is the way I believe the game should be played. It is on the edge, keeping the crowd entertained and glued to the action."